PUBLIC
Frequently Asked Questions
SAP Innovation and Optimization Pathfinder on Spotlight
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL QUESTIONS ..................................................................................................... 4
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Q6.
Q7.
Q8.
Q9.
Q10.
Q11.
Q12.
Q13.
Q14.
Q15.
Q16.
Q17.
Q18.
Q19.
Q20.
Q21.
Is there a charge for the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering? ......................................................... 4
I’m running an SAP S/4HANA on premise. What do I need to do to get started with Pathfinder
on Spotlight? ................................................................................................................................. 4
I’m running an SAP ECC system. What do I need to do to get started with Pathfinder on
Spotlight? ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for SAP R/3 4.6C systems? ............................ 4
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems? ................ 4
How do I get started with the online application, the Pathfinder on Spotlight solution? ........... 4
Is there a demo system and a sample analysis for the Pathfinder on Spotlight solution? ........ 5
What is the difference between Process Discovery and SAP Innovation and Optimization
Pathfinder on Spotlight? ............................................................................................................... 5
Are there synergies between SAP Readiness Check and Pathfinder on Spotlight? .................. 5
Is Pathfinder on Spotlight only available as part of RISE with SAP? .......................................... 5
What is the interplay between the Pathfinder on Spotlight summary and the Spotlight
solution? ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for new customers without an SAP S/4HANA
or SAP ERP system? ..................................................................................................................... 6
Who can I contact to discuss the details of my Pathfinder on Spotlight request? .................... 6
Are industry solutions also covered? .......................................................................................... 6
I’ve sent my request, but I’m not sure if it’s been processed yet. What should I do? ................ 6
I’m an SAP partner. Can I submit a request on behalf of my customer? .................................... 6
Can I submit a Pathfinder on Spotlight request for a human capital management (HCM)
system? ......................................................................................................................................... 6
How should I best proceed if I have several ERP systems? ....................................................... 6
In what languages are the Pathfinder on Spotlight summary and solution available? .............. 6
How long does it take to process my Pathfinder on Spotlight request once I’ve submitted it? 6
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for other SAP products (SAP Concur, SAP
Ariba, SAP SuccessFactors) or third-party offerings? ................................................................ 6
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REQUEST PROCESS AND DATA EXTRACTION ................. 7
Q22.
Q23.
Q24.
Q25.
Q26.
Q27.
Q28.
Q29.
What information do I need to share to get started with Pathfinder on Spotlight? How is data
security handled? .......................................................................................................................... 7
How do I know who will receive the invitation email to the Pathfinder on Spotlight solution,
Spotlight by SAP, so I can proactively let them know that it’s a legitimate email? .................... 7
Do I need SAP Solution Manager to get started with Pathfinder on Spotlight? ......................... 7
Will the data extraction cause performance issues in my productive SAP system? ................. 8
How long does it take to extract the data? Do I have to log data for several weeks? ................ 8
Can I run the extraction procedure on a copy of the productive system? ................................. 8
How can I see the content of the file extracted? .......................................................................... 8
I cannot find “my” industry in the drop-down menu. What shall I do? ....................................... 8
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Q30.
The extraction job seems to stall– what should I do? ................................................................. 8
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BENCHMARKING AND THE RESULTS ANALYSIS ............. 9
Q31.
Q32.
Q33.
Q34.
Q35.
Q36.
How many customers have been included in the benchmarking? ............................................. 9
Many supply chain KPIs do not show data. What’s the reason for this? .................................... 9
Can benchmarking consider company size and geography in addition to industry? ................ 9
Is there a follow-up service to analyze the business process performance indicators? ........... 9
How do you prioritize the list of recommendations? ................................................................... 9
Why is human resources (HR) not included? .............................................................................. 9
QUESTIONS ABOUT PATHFINDER ON SPOTLIGHT SOLUTION ................................. 10
Q37.
Q38.
Q39.
Q40.
Q41.
How does SAP map transaction statistics to processes within the Pathfinder on Spotlight
solution? .......................................................................................................................................10
Are custom and partner code transactions also mapped? ........................................................10
How do I interpret the score of the manual effort and users? ....................................................10
Are there planned maintenance windows or planned downtimes? ...........................................10
Where can I find information on the latest release? ...................................................................10
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This document was created to provide additional information for Pathfinder on Spotlight.
Suggestions to improve this document can be sent directly to http://www.sap.com/pathfinder
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q1.
Is there a charge for the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering?
The Pathfinder on Spotlight offering is free of charge for customers with a valid SAP
maintenance contract (SAP Standard Support, SAP Enterprise Support, or SAP Product
Support for Large Enterprise).
Q2.
I’m running an SAP S/4HANA on premise. What do I need to do to get started with
Pathfinder on Spotlight?
Please read the how-to-guide, which outlines how to prepare for and submit your Pathfinder
on Spotlight request. To upload your data, please use the microsite www.sap.com/pathfinder.
Q3.
I’m running an SAP ECC system. What do I need to do to get started with Pathfinder
on Spotlight?
For SAP ECC systems, we recommend ordering the Process Discovery, which provides the
same level of detail as well as additional content specifically for SAP S/4HANA. Please read
the how-to-guide, which outlines how to submit a request for Process Discovery.
Alternatively, you can also order Pathfinder on Spotlight for an SAP ECC system, but this is
not what we recommend.
Q4.
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for SAP R/3 4.6C systems?
No. The data extractors do not work for 4.6C systems because the ST-A/PI versions are too
old.
Q5.
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems?
Unfortunately, for now, we cannot deliver it for an SAP S/4HANA Cloud system as it is not
the same capabilities scope. However, provided you can implement the SAP Notes and
access the latest Early Watch Alert analysis, we could potentially deliver Pathfinder on
Spotlight to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Extended edition, SAP S/4HANA Cloud private edition,
and SAP HEC.
Q6.
How do I get started with the online application, the Pathfinder on Spotlight solution?
You'll receive an invitation to the web application when your Pathfinder on Spotlight summary
is made available to you. We set up an account for you in the Spotlight by SAP solution and
ask you to activate it by choosing the link in an “Activate Your Account for Spotlight by SAP”
email that you receive from notification@sapnetworkmail.com. Once you’ve activated your
account, you can access your online analysis.
For information on how to get started in the online version as a customer administrator,
please see the Spotlight Quick Guide for Customer Admins on SAP Help Portal.
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Q7.
Is there a demo system and a sample analysis for the Pathfinder on Spotlight
solution?
To explore the features of a sample analysis by yourself, you can access the following
demo system:
Demo project: https://demo.spotlight.cloud.sap/projects
User: demo.user@getspotlight.io
Password: Demo1234!
Q8.
What is the difference between Process Discovery and SAP Innovation and
Optimization Pathfinder on Spotlight?
Process Discovery answers the question ‘why move to SAP S/4HANA?’ for customers who
are currently running SAP ERP systems. Whereas Pathfinder answers the questions ‘how
can I optimize my current system and make the most out of it, and how can I best use my
SAP support entitlement?’ The Process Discovery is only available for customers running
SAP ERP.
Both analyses use a process based on SAP Notes with an automated extraction program.
Both analyses have a similar structure and layout. Pathfinder requires the latest SAP
EarlyWatch Alert analysis as a prerequisite on top of the (2) SAP Notes.
Q9.
Are there synergies between SAP Readiness Check and Pathfinder on Spotlight?
There could be. From a delivery perspective, we use the same framework and main SAP
Notes. From a content perspective, Pathfinder on Spotlight focuses on the business story
and the SAP Readiness Check focuses on the migration project part (looking at backlog KPIs
older than 365 days, which help to plan necessary archiving activities recommended for the
SAP S/4HANA project preparation).
Q10.
Is Pathfinder on Spotlight only available as part of RISE with SAP?
No, Pathfinder on Spotlight is available without any subscription to RISE with SAP.
Q11.
What is the interplay between the Pathfinder on Spotlight summary and the Spotlight
solution?
The Pathfinder summary is an interactive and easy-to-share PDF analysis that primarily
targets business executives, providing an executive summary analysis with high-level
insights. It serves as a starting point to optimize your current system. In addition, it also
includes direct links to the analysis in the online version in the Spotlight solution.
The Spotlight solution gives you access to your information in a cloud-based application. It
provides a deep dive into process performance and efficiency along end-to-end processes
and includes custom and partner code in identifying standardization opportunities. Spotlight
also helps to identify areas with improvement and automation potential. The most important
features are explained in this short walkthrough video.
Spotlight is delivered with each Pathfinder. To get started with Pathfinder on Spotlight, please
read the how-to-guide. To upload your data, please use the microsite
http://www.sap.com/pathfinder.
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Q12.
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for new customers without an SAP
S/4HANA or SAP ERP system?
No, a Pathfinder on Spotlight request requires data from a productive SAP S/4HANA or
SAP ERP system.
Q13.
Who can I contact to discuss the details of my Pathfinder on Spotlight request?
Please contact your SAP account executive for more information.
Q14.
Are industry solutions also covered?
The Pathfinder on Spotlight offering does not provide recommendations for industry
solutions. However, it does provide industry-specific benchmarks (business process
performance and functional usage) for six lines of business: finance, sourcing and
procurement, sales, asset management, manufacturing, and supply chain.
Q15.
I’ve sent my request, but I’m not sure if it’s been processed yet. What should I do?
Please contact pathfinder@sap.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Q16.
I’m an SAP partner. Can I submit a request on behalf of my customer?
Yes, as a partner, you can submit a Pathfinder on Spotlight request on behalf of customers,
but you must be authorized to do so by the customer. There’s a dropdown menu on the
website http://www.sap.com/pathfinder where you need to indicate whether you’re an SAP
customer or an SAP partner.
Q17.
Can I submit a Pathfinder on Spotlight request for a human capital management (HCM)
system?
No, this is currently not possible.
Q18.
How should I best proceed if I have several ERP systems?
You can submit a Pathfinder on Spotlight request separately for each of your productive
SAP ERP systems.
Q19.
In what languages are the Pathfinder on Spotlight summary and solution available?
The Pathfinder on Spotlight summary and solution are currently only available in English.
Q20.
How long does it take to process my Pathfinder on Spotlight request once I’ve
submitted it?
It takes approximately five business days for your request to be processed and to receive
your analysis.
Q21.
Is the Pathfinder on Spotlight offering available for other SAP products (SAP Concur,
SAP Ariba, SAP SuccessFactors) or third-party offerings?
The Pathfinder on Spotlight offering is currently only available for SAP S/4HANA and SAP
ECC systems.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REQUEST PROCESS AND DATA EXTRACTION
Q22.
What information do I need to share to get started with Pathfinder on Spotlight? How
is data security handled?
When you submit your Pathfinder on Spotlight request, SAP processes the following
information (all required fields can be viewed here: http://www.sap.com/pathfinder):
1. Name, phone number, and email-address of the requestor.
2. Customer name, customer number, industry, and SAP system ID. The selected industry
is subsequently used for the industry benchmarking.
3. Data from your productive SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP system:
a. Information about the usage of transactions and programs (like the information
from transaction ST03N). This information is aggregated, and it is not possible to
see data from individual users.
b. Information about process performance indicators such as backlog, throughput,
automation rate, and lead times. There are no monetary values in the analysis,
only the number of documents. You can download a sample analysis from
http://www.sap.com/pathfinder, where you can see the business KPIs and their
definition, including links to the details.
The process is very transparent: You can check and review all data you extract from your
SAP S/4HANA or SAP ECC system before sending the data to SAP from
http://www.sap.com/pathfinder. The extraction analysis creates a ZIP file, which contains four
XML files, and their XSL stylesheets to read the data. You can use Microsoft Excel or a web
browser to view the data. You also need to submit your latest Early Watch Alert report, which
is PDF format. When processing your data, we follow the respective guidelines of the
European Economic Area (“EEA”). The following information can be found at the bottom of
the http://www.sap.com/pathfinder webpage, when you click “Get Started Now”: Pathfinder
on Spotlight Privacy Statement and Terms of Use for SAP websites and the Pathfinder on
Spotlight Terms of Use.
To submit your Pathfinder on Spotlight request, you must accept these disclaimers and terms
of use. For any questions, please contact pathfinder@sap.com.
Q23.
How do I know who will receive the invitation email to the Pathfinder on Spotlight
solution, Spotlight by SAP, so I can proactively let them know that it’s a legitimate
email?
When we email you as the requestor to let you know we’ve processed your Pathfinder on
Spotlight request, we set up an account for you on the customer side as a ‘Customer Admin’
in the web solution and provide instructions on how to invite others (see question Q4).
As the requestor, you can then invite other colleagues to explore the analysis in the web
solution.
Q24.
Do I need SAP Solution Manager to get started with Pathfinder on Spotlight?
Yes, as you need to provide the latest Early Watch Alert, which is generated by SAP
Solution Manager.
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Q25.
Will the data extraction cause performance issues in my productive SAP system?
The workload caused by the extraction analysis is comparable to the SAP EarlyWatch Alert
data collection jobs and doesn’t noticeably impact the performance of productive systems.
Q26.
How long does it take to extract the data? Do I have to log data for several weeks?
No. After implementing SAP Notes 2758146 and 2745851, you can extract the information
directly from your productive system without a time offset.
Q27.
Can I run the extraction procedure on a copy of the productive system?
You must extract the data from your productive system. Development, test, and sandbox
systems are not supported. Using a copy of the productive system to extract the data poses
the following two problems:
1) The business process performance indicator KPIs are collected and calculated for a
specific period in the past (such as the last 7 days or the last 30 days). This works
only for productive systems.
2) The log files from ST03 transactions log are missing and incorrect in non-productive
systems.
Q28.
How can I see the content of the file extracted?
The process is very transparent: You can check and review all data you extract from your
SAP ERP system before sending the data to SAP via http://www.sap.com/pathfinder. The
extraction analysis creates a ZIP file, which contains four XML files including the XSL
stylesheet to read the data. You can use Microsoft Excel or a web browser to view the data.
The Early Watch Alert report can be viewed by Adobe Acrobat Reader or any PDF viewer
software.
Q29.
I cannot find “my” industry in the drop-down menu. What shall I do?
We recommend selecting the industry that most closely fits the usage of your SAP
S/4HANA system. There are several aspects that influence business KPIs. The industry
benchmarks are therefore intended to provide insights on where there are possible
opportunities to improve with SAP S/4HANA.
Q30.
The extraction job seems to stall– what should I do?
If the job runs for a long time or doesn’t come back with a result, it should be canceled and
the affected KPI should be removed from the list. To find out which KPI was causing the
problem, you can check the log written to PTAB. You can check this log while the job is still
running.
The log is updated after and before every KPI data collection.
Run /SSF/BTABBROWSER
Relid
TC
Projectid IEF
Objkey
LOG_S4RC20_*
You can find the most recent LOG by timestamp in Objkey.
Click on the <Detail> button next to the KPI without END_TSTMP: this is the KPI causing
the problem, which you then remove from the list.
You can also have a look at the troubleshooting guide:
https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2977422
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Should you find any other problems during the extraction process, please log an incident
using component SV-SCS-S4R.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BENCHMARKING AND THE RESULTS ANALYSIS
Q31.
How many customers have been included in the benchmarking?
The number of data points for every business KPI varies from KPI to KPI and from industry
to industry. As per legal and statistical standards, data from individual systems is always
anonymized and grouped. Only benchmarks with at least eight data points are displayed.
More than 3,000 customers have contributed to the benchmarking database so far, and this
number is growing each week.
Q32.
Many supply chain KPIs do not show data. What’s the reason for this?
The value driver “Reduce days in inventory” is very important for any customers who are
keeping inventory (because of working capital, storage keeping costs and capacity, and
supply chain). The special stock KPIs are industry dependent and will only show values for
make to order, consignment business, and project-related processes, for example. Many
customers in most industries mainly have unrestricted stock, because they are keeping
inventory. This metric therefore nearly always has data, while the other ones don’t show data.
Q33.
Can benchmarking consider company size and geography in addition to industry?
The benchmarks are based on industries. They do not consider company size or geography,
and this is typically not an issue. Business stakeholders are mostly aware of problems in their
processes and can relate the size of backlog KPIs to their daily business. For example, a
customer with 50 rejected sales orders (out of 200) is aware of their problem even if they see
a performance in green. Similarly, a customer with 165 rejected sales orders (out of 100,000)
also knows that they do not have a problem even if they see a performance in red.
Q34.
Is there a follow-up service to analyze the business process performance indicators?
SAP customers can use the Business Process Improvement Suite for a deep-dive root-cause
analysis and real-time monitoring of over 1,300 business and IT KPIs. This functionality is
included in SAP Solution Manager 7.2 for customers on SAP Enterprise Support, SAP
Product Support for Large Enterprises, or SAP Premium Engagements. For SAP Enterprise
Support customers, the CQC Business Process Improvement service is the recommended
next step to learn more about analyzing business KPIs in SAP Solution Manager.
Q35.
How do you prioritize the list of recommendations?
We prioritize the list of recommendations based on current usage intensity in your SAP
S/4HANA or SAP ERP system.
Q36.
Why is human resources (HR) not included?
HR is currently not covered in Pathfinder on Spotlight.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT PATHFINDER ON SPOTLIGHT SOLUTION
Q37.
How does SAP map transaction statistics to processes within the Pathfinder on
Spotlight solution?
Transactions are mapped to processes based on SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA 2021
(onpremise). The online analysis also provides an “Adjust Mapping” feature that allows
transaction-to-process mappings to be manually adjusted according to customer
specifications.
Q38.
Are custom and partner code transactions also mapped?
We indicate the amount of usage of custom/partner transactions. It is not possible to
automatically identify which custom code transactions are used in which
processes. However, using the “Adjust Mapping” feature, it’s possible to manually map
customer or partner transactions to processes based on your specifications. Custom code
transactions can be identified as those starting with “ZC” and partner code transactions
starting with “/PR”.
Q39.
How do I interpret the score of the manual effort and users?
We use the amount of dialog steps (which is an indicator of manual effort) to derive the
scores. The score is organized on a 3-dot scale. the dots indicate the score. For example, 3
dots mean the Manual Effort is high, 2 dots, medium and 1 dot, minimal.
Q40.
Are there planned maintenance windows or planned downtimes?
Since we are continuously improving our product, there are bi-weekly maintenance windows
on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. CET. Our aim is to make sure all live systems are updated
without too much disruption for our customers and that these 3 hours will rarely be required.
We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this maintenance downtime.
Q41.
Where can I find information on the latest release?
Please find the Release Notes for Spotlight by SAP on the SAP Help Portal. These outline
what
is
new,
changed,
and
what’s
been
fixed
in
each
release.
Note: You need to be logged onto the SAP Help Portal with a valid SAP S-user to access this
content.
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